After Village Development Board (VDB) which ultimately led to the concept of much acclaimed Communitization which is well appreciated by the world, another new and unique idea is born at Phek with the celebration of the first ever Village Education Committee Day Thursday. The daylong celebration organized by Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), District Mission Authority (DMA), Phek on the theme “Celebrating Communitization” was unique in a sense that occasion was celebrated sans chief guest or guest of honour which perhaps could be the first ever such function organized in the state. State health and family welfare minister Kuzholuzo Nienu, who was the guest speaker on the occasion, termed the occasion as not only “unique” but “significant and important”. He advocated that VEC Day should be celebrated every year in a grand way but without any chief guest, like today’s function and instead, inviting resource persons.Azo pointed out that in every function chief guest has become “too much”, saying people do not listen to chief guest speech but only on how much money the chief guest donated. “Everywhere chief guest and we’re ashamed”, he added. He also assured that state government would extend all possible support for the VEC. Terming the VEC day celebration as the right platform for discussion and deliberation on how to improve the educational system, he encouraged the organizers to invite not only the VECs but all prominent public leaders and social organizations and deliberate threadbare on how to improve educational system in the society. Without education, where will the Naga society land up and how will it catch up with the rest of the world, Azo asked. “To give quality education, we’ve to bring quality teachers and do away with proxy and bogus teachers,” he said, and alleged that a group of miscreants were producing bogus and proxy teachers. “Let’s try to produce genuine teachers and not proxy teachers and we don’t want the state to be run by proxy,” he added. On communitization, he exhorted the gathering that even the world today recognized and appreciate the communitization because it touched the grass root level of the society in decision making. “Now the time has come where we can’t blame the government because the system is in your hands and it depends on you,” he told the gathering.“In communitization, there is no chance for corruption and if we want corruption free society communitize everything,” the minister suggested.He, however, reminded that if VEC started corruption, the society would crumble. “VEC should be very accountable,” he cautioned. He further asked the VECs present on the need to be very strict in administration and asked them not to bow to any threat. Earlier, district mission authority (SSA) assistant district coordinator Vekhozo, in his keynote address, reminded that 1st VDB was launched at Ketsapo by the then deputy commissioner and former chief secretary of Nagaland A.M.Gokhale. Similarly, the first Communitization was launched at the same Phek town hall by former chief secretary R.S Pandey in 2003.The last eight years of Communitization has witnessed many ups and down but today “our teachers” are better trained, he said. The VEC Day was organized to acknowledge and show gratitude to the village education committee for their participation and contribution towards improving educational system. He also assured that in future, the day will be observed every year at all the block level and the best performing VEC will be awarded cash award along with certificate. On the occasion, the best performing VEC from all the four blocks of the district were awarded with cash award along with certificates. In Phek Block, the best performing VEC award was bagged by Losami village VEC, Chozouba Block by Runguzu, Meluri Block by Shatuza and Pfutsero Block by Enhulumi. The award was handed out to the best VEC of the four blocks by the guest speaker on the occasion Kuzholuzo Nienu, Minister for Health and Family Welfare.Altogether 173 VEC members attended the day long celebration of the first ever VEC Day celebrated in the district and the state as a whole. In the second session which was chaired by Tsangkhure, DC Phek who is also the Chairman DMA, SSA Phek exhort the occasion while Vekhozo, Asst District Coordinator DMA (SSA) gave a power point presentation.